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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

#1
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8/18/08 at 12:24pm
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Saw the trailer the other night during the Olympics. Looks awesome! My wife looked over at me and said "that looks creepy". I replied, "it's David Fincher...c'mon!!!"

Really can't wait to see this one.
Are you going to be working on the eventual 2009 release? If so, when do you usually start?
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#2
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8/23/08 at 12:58am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southpaw
Saw the trailer the other night during the Olympics. Looks awesome! My wife looked over at me and said "that looks creepy". I replied, "it's David Fincher...c'mon!!!"

Really can't wait to see this one.
Are you going to be working on the eventual 2009 release? If so, when do you usually start?

I've been working on it for over a year and a half, mostly shooting. Just getting into editing.

And it's even better than it looks. Fincher's best film, by a long shot.
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#3
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8/24/08 at 5:47am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Fincher's best film?
Wow, that's high praise considering so many of his films are classics now. That is some process....truly a 2 year ordeal then, huh?
And then there is work on the eventual DVD release too?

Now I really can't wait!! Merry Christmas to me...Merry Christmas to me....
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#4
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8/24/08 at 9:49am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Prior
Fincher's best film, by a long shot.
That's a bold statement. I was excited before but now I can't wait to see it.
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#5
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8/24/08 at 2:10pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I know how strong that sounds, but it's only controversial until you see the movie. I had the great honor of meeting and working with Fincher after I'd already been a giant fan -- I saw Seven three times on opening day -- but Button is so ambitious, so beautiful and so faultlessly executed that it really is in a class by itself.
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#6
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11/14/08 at 1:41pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

After reading a version of the script and watching the available clips, it's obvious this will be an exceptional project. Congratulations
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#7
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11/18/08 at 4:15pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I'm counting the days until this gets released.
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#8
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11/25/08 at 12:08pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I have a connection to one of the cast members. In 2005 I shot a short film for a Boulder, Colorado film competition starring the, as of then, undiscovered Madisen Beaty (Cate Blanchett's character at age 13).

This is Madisen's first major film and I was wondering, how did she do? Or were her scenes too few to matter much?

Lurking at HTF Since 2001

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#9
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12/1/08 at 11:47am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

OMG u just got me so hyped up David !!

i luv fincher's work (even alien3). he is truly one of the greatest visionaries today. a modern spielberg, capra, chaplin, fellini, etc. i can't wait =P.

my question is: Does Fincher like Blu-Ray? we know Zodiac: Director's Cut is coming february. is he a huge advocate of HD extras on blu-rays? i know it's wicked early but it all starts now i'd imagine if the BD were to have any extras at all.

to the edge of eternity and depth of infinity, stupidity knows no bound.

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#10
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12/27/08 at 11:10am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I saw Button last night. After reading mostly mixed reactions from critics and non-critics (the online frat boy community) I was cautious with my expectations. Glad to know once again my own personal taste always wins out what the rest of the world thinks because I love this movie. The look, tone, and pacing of the material was spot on.
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#11
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12/29/08 at 9:06am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

saw it last Friday w/group of casual moviegoers. most didn't like it. it'll fail to connect with the 'common folk' who have no interest in thinking.

but i absolutely dig it. my fav. scene is how he keeps u thinking about mortality and consequences of cause&effect during the car accident scene. oh and let's not forget the lightning strike guy, lol. love those non-sequitors. did he tell about all his 7 times? i lost count during the movie. i remember somewheres around 4 or 5 of them.

to the edge of eternity and depth of infinity, stupidity knows no bound.

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#12
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1/4/09 at 6:42am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David - my complements to you and especially Mr. Fincher. My wife and I loved the movie. Zodiac became my new Fincher favorite upon viewing it on DVD release day last year but I believe Button will now overtake it. I keep recollecting some of the great masterstrokes much like JediFonger mentioned in his post. Great great work. Can't wait to own it on Blu-ray.

One question I have is this: what was the creative thinking or what was behind the decision to backdrop the current hospital events with hurricane Katrina? Was that totally Eric Roth's decision? Did Fincher fully support this? I'm was just wondering what the reasoning was (if possible to comment).

Thanks and great job by all!
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#13
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1/4/09 at 1:16pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

We just saw this film this week. Beautiful work! The pacing, tone and themes were both poignant and executed to perfection IMHO.
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#14
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3/19/09 at 1:57pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Now that the DVD and BD releases have been announced, and Criterion is involved, what exactly will your involvement be with these releases, David?

\"My opinion is that (a) anyone who actually works in a video store and does not understand letterboxing has given up on life, and (b) any customer who prefers to have the sides of a movie hacked off should not be licensed to operate a video player.\"-- Roger Ebert

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#15
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3/19/09 at 10:23pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I produced, directed and designed all the supplements and the menus. Criterion's involvement came very late in the game, and is really about branding. We brought them in to help acheive a better footprint in the marketplace than we got with the Zodiac special edition.
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#16
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3/20/09 at 6:34am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David,
I, for one, can't wait for this release. I see that Fincher did a commentary and the rest of the supplements contain what is called a 4 part documentary?
Do you know how long the entire doc is and how long each part is? I can't find that info. I take it that it's pretty extensive given that it needed a second disc.
Thanks.
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#17
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3/20/09 at 2:36pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southpaw
David,
I, for one, can't wait for this release. I see that Fincher did a commentary and the rest of the supplements contain what is called a 4 part documentary?
Do you know how long the entire doc is and how long each part is? I can't find that info. I take it that it's pretty extensive given that it needed a second disc.
Thanks.

The doc is about 130 minutes. There's also another 30 minutes of stand alone material that didn't fit in the doc, divided amongst the tech scouts, costume design and CG work on the baby, as well as several still galleries.

I hope you enjoy it.
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#18
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3/21/09 at 7:26am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Prior
The doc is about 130 minutes. There's also another 30 minutes of stand alone material that didn't fit in the doc, divided amongst the tech scouts, costume design and CG work on the baby, as well as several still galleries.

I hope you enjoy it.

Could this material be made available for download at a future date? (I just hate knowing there' material out there that couldn't fit, especially still galleries which 1. are great when done well, and 2. didn't make it onto Mr. Lauzirika's Blade Runner SE either. You understand. )
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#19
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3/21/09 at 9:48am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I think you misinterpreted it. The additional 30 minutes of material and the still galleries are on the disc, but are not put into the main documentary.

Never go out with anyone who thinks Fellini is a type of cheese

My Blu-Ray/DVD Collection

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#20
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3/21/09 at 12:09pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Borst
I think you misinterpreted it. The additional 30 minutes of material and the still galleries are on the disc, but are not put into the main documentary.

You know, on second read, I believe you're right!

Sorry Mr. Prior, nothing to see here.
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#21
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3/23/09 at 8:18am
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

=D! i was sad it didn't win awards. it's time for fincher to win!!!

very excited about criterion BD.

to the edge of eternity and depth of infinity, stupidity knows no bound.

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#22
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3/23/09 at 6:57pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

So is the Criterion release this coming one and they just haven't done anything official about it at their website yet or is it some upcoming edition? Because I haven't seen anything with these early mockups that suggest anything in that direction.
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#23
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3/23/09 at 7:38pm
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Re: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord Dalek
So is the Criterion release this coming one and they just haven't done anything official about it at their website yet or is it some upcoming edition? Because I haven't seen anything with these early mockups that suggest anything in that direction.
In another thread, David said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Prior
The disc was deep into production before we brought Criterion in. Any terms that Paramount and Criterion agreed to beyond Button I have no idea about, but it's not unprecedented -- off the top of my head Criterion did Days of Heaven.

This situation is different than other Criterion releases, in the sense that it's still very much the disc we intended to release all along, it just has the Criterion imprint on it. That's not to take anything away from Criterion, who we all have great respect for. It's just that we felt, particularly after the way the Zodiac special edition was handled, that having Button in Criterion's catalogue would help draw some attention to the release that it might not otherwise have got.
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